Swimming pool coping

ABSTRACT

A protective coping member for a swimming pool is of composite construction, comprising a rigid moulded body of fibre-reinforced plastic material, having an outer skin defining a wear surface, and a retainer member constituted by an aluminum extrusion having a keyed upper portion which is embedded in the moulded body and a flanged lower portion defining a longitudinally extending channel to retain a swimming pool liner.

United States Patent 1191 Fiddes May 21, I974 1 SWIMMING POOL COPING 3.371.455 3/1968 Fox 52/169 3.35 .95 l 967 C 1 4 7 [75] Inventor: Derek Edward Fiddes, willowdule, 3-4|3L9|2 1: .g gif i I I h I A I L Omar"), Canada 3,524,291 14/1970 Ro zunskit..." 52/169 Assigneez protecfive Plastics Limited Don 3.583,] l7 6/l97l Roach 1 52/309 Mills, Ontario Canada 3,641,595 2/1972 Vlessmann 4/l72.l9

Filed: Sept- 1972 Primary ExaminerHenry C. Sutherland [21] APPLNO; 2 6 Assistant Examiner-Henry Raduazo Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ridout & Ma ybee [52] US. Cl 52/102, 52/169, '4/l72.2l 51 1111.0 E04h 3/16 1 1 ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 52/ 102, 169, 710, 309; A protective coping member f a Swimming pool is f 4/172 172-18, 172619 7221 composite construction, comprising'a rigid moulded v body of fibre-reinforced plastic material, having an References Cited outer skin defining a wear surface, and a retainer UNITED STATESPATENTS member constituted by an aluminum extrusion having 3.150.032 9/1964 Rubenstein... 52/D1G. 7 a keyed upper Portion which is embedded in the 3,427,663 2/1969 0Connell.... 4/ 172.21 moulded body and a flanged lower portion defining a 3,353,317 11/1967 Ensor 1 52/309 longitudinally extending channel to retain a swimming 2 755,484 7/1956 HOtZ 4/172 p00] linen 2.914.776 l2/l959 l-lotz. 4/i72 P v 3.347.006 10/1967 Fox 52/169 I 6 Claims, .4 Drawing Figures 1 A q A PATENTEum 21 m 3 8 1 1 '23s SHEET 1 BF 2 I SWIMMING POOL COPING This invention relates to a swimming pool coping of the type which is adapted to constitute a protective edging for the pool and additionally to provide means for retaining a pool liner.

It is known to provide a swimming pool coping of this type in the form of an extruded strip of resilient plastic material, the strip having longitudinally extending front and rear edges, a contoured upper surface providing a raised kerb, and integral flanges extending adjacent to the front edge of the strip, which flanges define a channel adapted to receive and retain the upper edge of a swimming pool liner. A serious disadvantage of the known type of coping is that the plastic strip is liable to deteriorate and develop cracks in the course of time owing to weathering and owing to mechanical strain. Such cracks are a possible source of injury to swimmers, minor foot injuries being particularly common.

This disadvantage might be overcome by making the coping of a rigid reinforced plastic material, such as,

for example, glass-reinforced plastic material moulded from a premix; however, a difficulty which cannot be ignored is that such a material cannot readily be extruded and therefore does not readily lend itself to the manufacture of articles of the type in question.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a composite protective swimming pool coping incorporating a rigid reinforced plastic material, which coping substantially eliminates the disadvantage referred to above without introducing manufacturing difficulties which might be expected from the use of reinforced plastic.

A swimming pool coping member according to the present invention comprises a rigid moulded body of fiber-reinforced plastic material, the body having longitudinally extending front and rear edges, and means for retaining a pool liner constituted by a metallic extrusion having a keyed upper portion embedded in the reinforced plastic and a flanged lower portion defining a longitudinally extending channel adapted to receive the edge of the liner.

In order that the invention may be readily understood one embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: I

FIG. I is a diagrammatic view showing an initial step in the formation of the composite protective coping member;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing in section the composite moulded structure after moulding;'

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, partly in section, showing part of the swimming pool coping mounted on a pool surround; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross section view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 3.

Referring first to FIG. 4. a swimming pool I has a concrete surround 2 with a generally horizontal upper surface. and a vinyl liner 3 ofconventional form for lining the inner surface of the pool. The surround 2 is covered by a protective coping as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the coping being of composite construction and having a configuration which enables the liner 3 to be suspended directly adjacent to the inner surface of the pool thereby minimizing mechanical strain on the coping. In practice the coping will normally be made up of a number of coping members disposed end to end, each coping member being straight or curved according to the shape of the respective part of the pool surround.

The coping member comprises an elongated rigid moulded body 4 constituted by a moulded premix of glass fibre reinforced plastic material, the body having an outer skin 5 constituted by a preform moulded integrally with the body, and a liner retainer 6 constituted by an aluminum extrusion of the cross sectional configuration shownv The body 4 has a longitudinally extending front edge 7 and a longitudinally extending rear edge 8. As best shown in FIG. 3, the outer skin, which provides a wear surface, has a contoured frontal portion 9 having a convex upper surface defining a raised curb. The body 4 additionally provides a horizontal flanged portion 10 extending rearwardly from the frontal portion 9 and terminating in a downturned terminal flange 11. The lower surface 12 of the flanged portion 10 lies in a horizontal plane and is adapted to lie on the upper surface of a horizontal floor structure constituted by the surround 2. The coping member is secured in position on the surround by means of bolts 13 which secure the rear terminal flange 11 to a vertical face of the floor structure. The upper surface of the frontal portion 9 is formed with longitudinally extending ribs 14 while the upper surface of the horizontal flanged portion 10 is formed with a series of spaced ribs 15; these ribs are ornamental, but as will be readily understood, their main purpose is to provide a firm footing at the edge of the pool for users of the pool.

The body 4 has a longitudinally stepped lower surface providing a horizontal lower surface portion 16, which is contiguous and coplanar with the surface 12, and a horizontal raised surface portion 17, these surface portions being separated by an intermediate portion 18 providing a vertical step. The retainer member 6 is formed with a longitudinally extending keyed portion 19 which lies embedded in the moulded body so as to be retained thereby, a horizontal wall portion 20 which lies against a raised surface portion of the core, a vertical wall portion 21 which lies against a vertical step formed by the intermediate portion 18, and a horizontal flange 22. The flange 22 has an upwardly projecting, longitudinally extending, terminal lip 23 which defines the lower edge ofa liner retaining channel; thev lip 23 engages a thickened edge portion 24 of the liner 3, as shown in FIG. 4, to provide an anchorage therefor. It will'be noted that the thickened edge portion 24 of the liner is of tapering cross section and is formed with a projecting step so that it may be snapped into the channel and retained by the lip 23. The horizontal base flange 22 of the retainer member lies in the same plane as the lower surface portion 16 of the body and the lower surface 12 of the flange l0 soas to lie on the upper surface of the floor structure. The retainer member 6 extends along the edge of the surround 2 and is spaced rearwardly from the front edge 7, the front edge of the coping member extending a short distance over the edge of the pool and shrouding the retainer member, and the latter being positionedso as to hold the liner 3 in close contact with the surround as shown. With this arrangement there is little tendency, if any, for the liner 3 to move as a result of water movement, and in any case the retainer member 5 is rigidly supported so that it provides a firm anchorage for the liner and a firm support for the frontal portion of the coping member.

The method of making the coping member is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2."The essential feature of the method is that the composite structure is moulded in a single moulding operation. The mould comprises upper and lower mould halves 25, 26 which are of the configurations shown to conform to the cross sectional shapeof the finished product. The first step in manufacture is to place the aluminum extrusion 6 into the lower half of the mould, the extrusion being accurately located by a step 27. lnto this mould is now placed the material to be moulded. Thismaterial is constituted by a premix of glass fibre reinforced thermosetting plastic material (e.g. polyester resin), forming a core 28, and outer layers 29 formed by upper and lower preforms of glass filament matting. The mould is next closed and the material is cured under heat and pressure, the resultant product having the configuration shown in FIG. 2. in this way the retainer 6 is integrally connected to the body of the coping member during the moulding operation, and in the same operation the preforms 29 are moulded to the required configuration integrally with the core, resin from the latter being caused to impregnate the preforms. The preforms, after. impregnation and moulding, form an outer skin which is an integral part of the moulded body and which provides a wear surface having a better appearance and better wearing properties than would be obtained without the use of preforms. 1 I

What l'claim as my invention is:

1. A composite protective coping member for a swimming pool, comprising an elongated rigid moulded body of uniform cross sectional shape having longitudinally extending front and rear edges, the body being constituted by a body portion of dispersed-fibre reinforced plastic material having an outer skin portion constituted by a layer of matted fibres impregnated with said plastic material and integrally moulded therewith, the skin defining a longitudinally extending, contoured frontal portion of substantial thickness and a horizontal relatively thin flanged portion extendingrearwardly therefrom, the contoured frontal portion having a convex upper surface defining a raised kerb, raised relative to said flanged portion, and a retainer member for a swimming pool liner, the retainer member being constituted by a metallic member having a keyed upper portion embedded in and fixedly anchored to said body portion and a flanged lower portion definv and said skin portion are glass fibre reinforced thermosetting plastic materials.

3. A composite protective coping member according to claim 2, wherein the retainer member is analuminum extrusion.

4. A composite protective coping member according to claim 1, wherein said base flange has an upwardly projecting, longitudinally extending, terminal lip defining one edge of the liner-retaining channel and providing an anchorage for the liner. I

5. A composite protective coping member according to claim 4, wherein the terminal lip is spaced rearwardly from the front edge of the body.

6. A composite protective coping member according to claim '5, wherein the rear edge of the horizontal flanged portion of the body has a downturned terminal flange adapted to be secured to a vertical wall surface of said floor structure. 

1. A composite protective coping member for a swimming pool, comprising an elongated rigid moulded body of uniform cross sectional shape having longitudinally extending front and rear edges, the body being constituted by a body portion of dispersedfibre reinforced plastic material having an outer skin portion constituted by a layer of matted fibres impregnated with said plastic material and integrally moulded therewith, the skin defining a longitudinally extending, contoured frontal portion of substantial thickness and a horizontal relatively thin flanged portion extending rearwardly therefrom, the contoured frontal portion having a convex upper surface defining a raised kerb, raised relative to said flanged portion, and a retainer member for a swimming pool liner, the retainer member being constituted by a metallic member having a keyed upper portion embedded in and fixedly anchored to said body portion and a flanged lower portion defining a longitudinally extending channel facing said frontal portion and adapted to receive the edge of the liner, said horizontal flanged portion having a horizontal lower surface adapted to lie on a floor structure, the frontal portion having a longitudinally stepped lower surface providing a horizontal lower surface of the flanged portion and a raised surface portion and having a horizontal base flange coplanar with said lower surface portion.
 2. A composite protective coping member according to claim 1, wherein the materials of said body portion and said skin portion are glass fibre reinforced thermosetting plastic materials.
 3. A composite protective coping member according to claim 2, wherein the retainer member is an aluminum extrusion.
 4. A composite protective coping member according to claim 1, wherein said base flange has an upwardly projecting, longitudinally extending, terminal lip defining one edge of the liner-retaining channel and providing an anchorage for the liner.
 5. A composite protective coping member according to claim 4, wherein the terminal lip is spaced rearwardly from the front edge of the body.
 6. A composite protective coping member according to claim 5, wherein the rear edge of the horizontal flanged portion of the body has a downturned terminal flange adapted to be secured to a vertical wall surface of said floor structure. 